Electrical reset timing devices



S pt. 12, 1961 H. H. THOMPSON 2,999,949

ELECTRICAL RESET TIMING DEVICES Filecl July 27, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. F 10 HARRY h- 77/0MP60/V' 2/91, BY a 2 14/6 flrm/vzysu Sept. 12, 1961 H. H. THOMPSON ELECTRICAL RESET TIMING DEVICES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 27, 1959 Sept. 12, 1961 H. H. THOMPSON ELECTRICAL RESET TIMING DEVICES 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 27, 1959 R O T N W HARRY H THOMP BY /%W 17/: ATTdKA EKK- 2,999,949 ELECTRICAL RESET T :l DEVICES Harry H. Thompson, 4134 W. Newport, Chicago, 111. Filed July 27, 1959, Ser. No. 829,740 7 Claims. (Cl. 307- 1414) My invention relates to new, useful and improved electrical reset timing devices.

It has for its principal object the provision of a mechanism of the character hereinafter described which is simple in construction and highly eflicient in use.

My invention may be used in any number of different environments. Without any intention to limit its use, I shall explain hereinafter its use in connection with a coin-operated amusement apparatus wherein the cycle of operation of the apparatus is controlled by motor-driven timing devices.

Assuming, for example, that of operation of the apparatus is three minutes, it frequently happens that a player will discontinue playing the game after the cycle of operation has commenced and run for less than the full cycle, for instance, only a minute and a succeeding player thereupon deposits a coin to condition the apparatus for play. Such succeeding player, under such situation, will be deprived of a full cycle of three minutes of operation unless the timing device is reset to starting position upon the deposit of a coin by him.

An object of this invention is therefore to provide an arrangement whereby each time a coin is deposited to condition the apparatus for replay, the timing device will be reset to its starting position, thus giving the player the full allotment of time for playing the game.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the invention similar to FIG. 1, but showing the parts thereof in different positions;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the invention as seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a suggested schematic circuit.

The several objects of my invention are accomplished by the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawings.

In this connection, a mounting plate is indicated at it). Mounted on one side of the plate is a motor-operated timing device 11 of any preferred well-known construction and including an elongated shaft 12 which extends through the plate 10 laterally from the opposite side thereof.

On the shaft 12 is arranged a friction disc 13 preferably formed of cork or leather or the like. Mounted in facial abutment with the disc 13 is a disc 14 which provides, together with the disc 13, a slip clutch. The disc 14 has a laterally extending hub 15 spaced from a similarly shaped hub 16 carried by shaft 12 and secured thereto by a set screw 16'. Both hubs in their confronting faces are provided with sockets 15 into which the ends of a compression spring 19 project so as to exert a binding or frictional contact between the confronting faces of the discs 13 and 14.

Disposed between the discs 14 and 17 and embracing the hubs 15 and 16 is a torsion spring 20, one end of which is connected as at 21 to a cam disc 23 and the opposite end as at 22 to the disc 14.

the period of the cycle ant Patented Sept. 12, 196i ice The cam disc 23 is mounted for rotation relative. to the shaft 12 and is preferably formed of fiber, Bakelite, or nylon. Arranged between the cam disc '23 and the disc 17 is a friction disc 24 preferably formed of rubber, leather, or other suitable material.

Bearing against the adjacent face of the cam disc 23 is a pressure plate 25 having a hub 26 formed integral therewith and provided with a socket 27. Spaced from the hub 26 is a collar 28 likewise having a socket 29 formed in the side thereof confronting the socket 27. The collar 28 is fixedly secured to the shaft 12 by a set screw 3t Embracing the shaft 12 with its end portions seated in the sockets 27 and 29, is a compression spring 31.

Mounted on the plate dd is a solenoid 32 having a plunger 33. Pivoted to the plunger 33 as at 34 is an arm 35. The arm 35 is pivotally supported from the plate 10 by a bracket 36 to which the arm 35 is pivoted as at 37. The upper end portion of the arm 35 is provided with a fork 38. The hub 26 has an annular groove 39 to receive the fork 38.

The cam disc 23 has oppositely disposed hills 4t and 41, the high spot to which is generated from points 42.

Mounted on the plate 10 is a switch unit 43 which includes switch blades 44 normally in open position (FIG. 1). An actuating arm 45 is provided by the switch unit 43 and is insulated from and bears against the adjacent switch blade of the blades 44 by an insulating strip 46. The curved finger portion 47 of the arm 45 is adapted to ride upon the edge of the cam disc 23.

Pivotally carried by the plate 10 as at 48 is a latch arm 49. The outer end portion of the arm 49 provides a latch head 50 adapted to have latched engagement with the outer blade of the blades 44. Carried by the inner end portion of the arm 49 is a magnetically attraotable finger 51 disposed beneath the core 52 of an electromagnetic coil 53.

In FIG. 4 a suggested electric circuit is shown.

According to such circuit, the motor 54 and coil of relay switch 55 are in parallel and in circuit with the switch 43, whereas the coils 32 and 55 are in series and in circuit with the coin switch 56.

In normal condition with the motor 54 deenergized by reason of the open switch 43, the coils 53 and 32 are deenergized by reason of the open coin or starting switch 56. When the coin switch 56 is closed by the deposit of a coin, the coils 32 and 53 are simultaneously momentarily energized. The energization of the coil 53 pivots the arm. 49 upwardly to close the adjacent blade of the switch 43, thus closing the latter. At the same time, the coil 32 is momentarily energized, pulling in the plunger 33 to pivot the arm 35 to move the pressure plate 25 against the action of the spring 31 and away from the cam disc 23 to release the cam disc 23 for rotation to a starting position as shown in FIG. 1 by the action of the torsion spring 20".

Upon closing of the switch 43, the motor 54 is energized and upon rotation of its shaft, rotation will be imparted to the cam disc 23 by the torsion spring 20. The switch 55 will also be closed by its relay coil. When the finger 47 of the switch unit 43 rides to the top of either the hill 40 or 4-1 of the cam disc 23, as the case may be, the switch blades of the switch 43 will be flexed so as to dispose the outer blade thereof outwardly to a position where the arm 49 will pivot to latch the switch blade (FIG. 2). When the finger 47 rides off either the hill 40 or 41, as the case may be, the switch 43 will open, deenergizing the motor 54 and the coil of game switch 55.

By this arrangement, should the cam disc 23 have failed to complete its cycle of operation, it will be released to rotate under the action of the torsion spring 20 to a starting position (FIG. 1), in a position to start a full cycle of operation upon deposit of a coin.

To avoid breakage of the torsion spring 20 when it reaches a predetermined tension, the frictional contact between the discs 13 and 14 will be maintained by the spring 19 suflicient to allow a slip action, so as to place in great or further strain upon the torsion spring 20.

As before stated, my invention may be used in many different environments. It is especially useful to prevent overheating of driving motors or short circuiting of circuits which result from the fact that the motor and circuit remain energized after the time for termination of the cycle of operation. This feature of the invention eliminates fire hazards and prevents damage to the operating circuits of the apparatus as well as the operating parts thereof such as motors, relays and the like.

My invention is particularly useful in the coin-controlled amusement game art where the operation of a game is permitted to continue for a predetermined period of time. In such case, should the player of the game discontinue playing the game before the expiration of the period of time, the next player would not be deprived of the full period of time for playing the game, this by reason of the fact that when the coin switch is closed by his deposit of a coin, the timing device is reset to its starting position instead of continuing to run for the balance of the period of time allotted to the previous player who discontinued playing the game.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A resetting mechanism for a motor-driven timing device in which said timing device is provided with an elongated shaft, a cam member free to rotate on said shaft, frictional means providing rotatable connection between said cam member and said shaft for a period of cycle of operation, means for releasing said frictional means to release said cam member for rotation relative to said shaft, an electric circuit having an electromagnetic member for actuating said releasing means, a switch for momentarily energizing said circuit, and switch means for thereafter controlling energization of said circuit and having means engageable by said cam member at a predetermined point in its operation to deenergize said circuit.

2. A device of the class described comprising a mounting plate, a motor on said plate and including a circuit therefor and a shaft, a cam on said shaft for rotation relative thereto, a torsion spring embracing the shaft and arranged between the cam and the plate for eifecting rotation of the cam with the shaft, a normally open release said latch member and switch unit in said circuit and including cooperative contact blades, a latch member pivotally carried by the plate and having latched engagement with one of the blades for releasably holding the switch unit in open position, the other blade of said switch unit engaging said cam, electromagnetic means for actuating said latch member to release said one of said switch blades to close said switch unit, pressure means for effecting rotation of said cam with said shaft by said torsion spring, electromagnetic means for actuating said pressure means to release said cam for rotation relative to said shaft in an opposite direction, and a starting switch to effect simultaneous energization of said electromagnetic latch actuating means and said electromagnetic pressure actuating means to said pressure means respectively.

3. The device of claim 2 characterized by the inclusion of friction means between one end of said torsion spring and said mounting plate to prevent override of said torsion spring by rotation of said shaft.

4. The device of claim 2 characterized by the inclusion of a hill on said cam and an actuating finger for said switch unit and engaging said cam'and adapted to ride off said hill to effect opening of said switch unit.

5. The device of claim 3 characterized by the inclusion of a hill on said cam and an actuating finger for said switch unit and engaging said cam and adapted to ride off said hill to effect opening of said switch unit.

6. The device of claim 4 in which the latch member is 1 held ineffective to latch said one blade by said one blade until said actuating finger reaches said hill.

7. The device of claim 5 in which the latch member is held ineffective to latch said one blade by said one blade until said actuating finger reaches said hill.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,079,837 Buckley May '11, 1937 2,292,380 Kersten Aug. ll, 1942 2,786,907 Harris Mar. 26, 1957 

